September
2013 Aviation Aerospace Defence Industry Air Force Military News

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Published: Monday, 30 September 2013 18:25

PL-13
Air to Air Missile carried by Chinese J-20 jet fighter

After
photos emerged online earlier this year showing the J-20 China's
latest jet fighter carrying two types of missiles outside of its
weapons bay during a test flight, the Global Times, a tabloid
under the auspices of the Communist Party mouthpiece People's
Daily, reported that one of the missiles may be the PL-13, Air
to Air Missile.

The
French Air Force (Armée de l'Air) accepted the This event
involved the second aircraft delivered to France the third one
will likely be delivered at the beginning of 2014. This ceremony
takes place 2 months after the delivery of the first aircraft
which is based in Orléans (South of Paris) to squadron
in charge of testing and training for the type.

AVIC
from China unveils a new fighter model at Beijing Aviation Exhibition

An
advanced fighter concept (AFC) model launched by the Aviation
Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) made its debut at the 15th
Beijing Aviation Exhibition unveiled yesterday at the China National
Convention Center in Beijing. This model higly resemble the project
often named J-31 attributed to the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation.

Boeing,
Lockheed Martin and EADS were dropped from the fighter contest
of South Korea. Neither the F-15SE (Silent Eagle), the F-35A nor
the Eurofighter Typhoon were compliant. The closest winner of
the bid would have been the F-15SE but it was finally dismissed
as concern about its stealth were raised by military officials
and media. Boeing was the sole remaining bidder being the only
contender within the price range of the tender.

Boeing
and the U.S. Air Force have completed the first unmanned QF-16
Full Scale Aerial Target flight, demonstrating the next generation
of combat training and testing.The QF-16 is intended to be used
as target practice to give a chance to pilots to fire some live
AAM (Air to Air Missile). QF-16 drones are replacing the older
QF-4 (based on F-4 phantom) drones which are to be retired in
2015.

French
Air Force trains to nuclear strike and fires ASMPA nuclear missile

France
tested its forces aériennes stratégiques (FAS) Strategic
Aerial Nuclear Forces with the firing of an ASMPA (Air Sol de Moyenne
Portée Amélioré) nuclear missile. This mission
was a simulation of a real nuclear strike involving Mirage 2000N
and C135FR (French variant of Boeing KC-135 in use with the US
Air Force).

U.S.
Air Force Logistic Complex has received first Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning
II fighter aircraft

The U.S. Air Force’s Air Logistics Complex (ALC) at Hill
Air Force Base, Ogden, Utah, hosted a ceremony today marking the
arrival of the first Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35 Lightning
II aircraft to a depot facility. The aircraft ferried from Nellis
AFB, Nev., and will be the first Air Force F-35A conventional
takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant used in the Block 2B Operational
Testing & Evaluation (OT&E) program in 2015.

French
Air force receives first Rafale fighter aircraft with new RBE2 active
scanned array radar

The first of 60 Rafale jet fighters fitted with next-generation
RBE2 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar has been delivered
to the French military. The Dassault Aviation aircraft, part of
the 60-plane fourth production tranche, was given to France's
Directorate General of Armaments (DGA).